Pruning appliance.



A. S. KLEINSMITH. PRUNING APPLIANCE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27, 190.8,.

927,359, Patented July 6, 1909.

WITNESSES S yQe a Q??? BY M2 Aifmweys ALVIN S. KLEINSMITH, OF OREGONCITY, OREGON.

rnnmne APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1909.

Application filed November 27, 1908. Serial No. 464,555.

To all whom Lt may concern:

a citizen of the United States, residing at Oregon City, in the countyof Glackamas and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and usefulimprovements in Pruning Appliances; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will on able others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in pruning shears orappliances and my object is to provide means for pruning or severing thelimbs or branches of trees that may be desired to be discarded.

A further object is to carry out this end in a simple manner and toprovide such means at little expense and a further object is to providefor the ready actuation of such means. 1

My invention, therefore, consists of the novel combination andarrangement of parts including their construction, substantially ashereinafter more fully disclosed and defined by the claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings forming part of this specification, wherein likereference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views,and wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device with the jaws ofthe instrument in their initial or normal position. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section as seen on line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detachedperspective view of the attaching bracket for the manually actuatedlever, and Fig. 4: represents a blank from which the actuating lever orattaching member is formed.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a suitable handle or staff 1,adapted to be suitably grasped at its lower end by the operator andhaving secured preferably thereto, by the aid of a suitable ferrule 2, astationary hook-shaped jaw or blade 3, preferably in outline resemblingthe bill or beak of a bird, said jaw or blade being fixed to the handleor staff 1 and in outline, as noted, is adapted to readily engage thelimb or branch of a tree, as in applying it for effect ing the cuttingaction. Pivotally secured to the inner terminal of the blade 3, is anadditional blade 4t, having an arcuate cutting edge opposed to andfacing the corp l 1 responding cutting edge of the first-referred- Be itknown that l, ALVIN f5. linnlnslurrn,

to cutter or blade and also having projecting beyond its pivotal orfulcrum point, an arm for imparting the requisite leverage thereto ineffecting the severing operation. To the outer end of the lever portionor arm of said cutter or blade a is suitably connected the upper end ofa wire rod member 5, passing through and having its movement controlledby an eye or staple 6 projecting from the handle or staff 1 aboutmid-way the length of said wire-rod, and to the lower end of said wirerod is connected the angular shank 7 of a manually actuated lever 8.Said shank member is bent at less than a right angle to thehandle-portion proper of said lever and suitably pivoted in a bracket orattaching member 9, its pivot 8 being received in alining apertures ofparallel outstanding cars 9 struck up from said bracket. The attachingmember or bracket 9 has formed therewith at its corner edges, sharpenedlateral extensions 12 arranged to stand at an angle to the plate memberor portion of said bracket and adapted to be driven into the handlemember 1 to aid in securing said bracket in efiective position thereon.

It will be observed that the wire rod 5 is inwardly curved or extendedintermediate of its ends or points of attachment to the movable cutter4t and the manually actuated lever 8, whereby when said lever isdepressed or actuated, said movable blade will be actuated by theminimum movement of aid lever, as is apparent, thus lessening the strokeor movement required to actuate said lever.

The bracket or attaching member 9 is preferably constructed in a singlepiece of metal, of plate-like outline, having laterally extended endportions 10 conforming to the contour of the front edge of the staff 1,the contracted intermediate portion of said bracket between saidlaterally extended portions, having perpendicular portions 11 arrangedparallel with each other and spaced apart, said perpendicular oroutstanding por tions forming ears having opposed apertures 1:2therethrough to receive the pivot or ful crum 8 of the lever, the shankportion 7 of said lever being received between the outstanding orperpendicular portions.

The means of attachment for the bracket 9 consists preferably of headedpins or bolts 13, passing through suitable openings in the handle 1 andthrough the laterally extended portions 10 of said bracket, the openingsin said laterally extended portions for said bracket being formed aboutcentrally of the same. Said attaching plate or bracket, which may be acasting, or otherwise formed, is, it is apparent, durable and effectivefor its purpose and is readily secured in place together with themovable blade actuating lever.

It will be noted that in applying the device for use, the handle member1, being suitably grasped together with the lever 8, the hook is lifted.and caught over the limb or branch of a tree and by suitablymanipulating said lever, the movable blade is forcibly engaged with thelimb or branch, which will effectively sever the latter, as will bereadily understood.

What I claim is:

1. A device of the character described, comprising a handle memberhaving at its upper end a fixed hookshaped blade, a movable bladepivoted to the first-referredto blade at a point about in alinement withthe rearwardly extending arm thereof, a manually actuated lever havingan annular shank, a resilient connection between said cutter arm andsaid shank, means for bowing said resilient connection inwardly to wardsaid handle and for the guidance of its movement and an attachingbracket for said manually actuated lever having an intermediatecontracted portion provided with parallel outstanding ears for thereception therebetween of the inner end of said shank, means foreffecting pivotal connection b tween said shank and said ears, saidbracket having upper and lower curved transverse portions embracing saidhandle and pointed terminals insertible in said handle and means foraiding the attachment of said bracket to said handle.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a staff or handlemember having applied thereto at its upper end, a fixed cutting jaw, amovable like jaw, a lever member, means of connection between said leverand said movable jaw for actuating the latter and an attaching memberconsisting of a plate adapted to conform and applied to said handlemember and having sharpened or pointed, angular extensions projectingfrom its corner edges and entering or embedded in said handle member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALVIN S. KLEINSBHTH. lVitnesses J. U. CAMPBELL, VADA ELLIOTT.

